CHENNAI: Hundreds of sanitary workers from Zones 5, 6, and 7 of the Chennai corporation continued to protest for a second consecutive day on Friday against privatisation of solid waste management. The demonstration follows their arrest and detention on Thursday for protesting near Ripon Building.
The workers said they are protesting seeking permanent employment and cancellation of privatisation plans, which would jeopardise their livelihoods.
In 2021, the then Leader of Opposition, MK Stalin, had urged the GCC Commissioner to reconsider the privatisation plans owing to its negative impact on workers. The protesting workers have now appealed to Stalin and officials to halt the privatisation.
A 44-year-old worker from Ward 69 said, “We never had a single day off and worked all 365 days, trusting that we would be made permanent employees someday. Now, we are being handed over to a private company and to make things worse they allegedly don’t hire anyone over the age of 35. This will deprive me of my job.”
K Bharathi, leader of LTUC, which led the protest, said it is unfair to go for privatisation when a case concerning the issue is still pending in court.